If you are considering body contouring, you may already know what you would like to change, but not necessarily which procedure will create that change.
Maybe you have loose abdominal skin that never improved after pregnancy. Perhaps you have reached a stable weight but still have areas of stubborn fat. You may have lost a significant amount of weight and now find that excess skin is keeping you from fully enjoying the results of that accomplishment.
Patients often begin with a concern, not the name of a procedure.
That is an important distinction.
Body contouring is not about choosing a procedure from a menu. The appropriate treatment depends on what is causing the concern, your individual anatomy, skin quality, goals, health, and the amount and location of the change you would like to make.
At Accent On You, body contouring begins by identifying what you want to change and why. From there, an individualized treatment plan can be developed around your body rather than trying to make your body fit a predetermined procedure.
What Is Body Contouring?
Body contouring is a broad term for procedures designed to improve the shape, proportion, or contour of one or more areas of the body.
Depending on the patient, that may involve addressing excess skin, localized fat, changes to underlying tissues, or a combination of concerns.
This is why two people who describe the same problem may ultimately need very different treatment plans.
For example, two patients may both say they are unhappy with their abdomen. One may primarily have localized fat with good skin elasticity. Another may have significant loose skin and changes following pregnancy or weight loss.
The concern sounds similar. The anatomy creating it is not.
Is Loose Skin or Stubborn Fat Causing the Problem?
One of the most important questions in body contouring is also one of the simplest: What is actually creating the contour you want to change?
Fat and excess skin are different concerns, and they generally require different approaches.
Liposuction is designed to remove localized fat. It does not remove substantial amounts of loose skin.
Procedures that remove excess skin address a different problem. Depending on the location and extent of skin laxity, this may involve procedures such as a tummy tuck, waist tuck, or another body contouring approach.
Some patients have both concerns.
That is why trying to select a procedure based only on what an area looks like in the mirror can be difficult. A physical examination allows a plastic surgeon to evaluate the tissues beneath what you see and determine what is contributing to the contour.
What If My Abdomen Is My Main Concern?
The abdomen is one of the most common areas patients want to address, but "I want a flatter stomach" does not automatically point to one procedure.
The appropriate approach depends on several factors.
If the primary concern is localized fat and the skin has enough elasticity to adapt to the new contour, liposuction may be considered.
If loose or excess abdominal skin is a significant part of the concern, removing fat alone may not produce the desired result.
Pregnancy, aging, genetics, and significant changes in weight can all affect the abdominal area differently. Some patients may also have changes to the abdominal wall that need to be considered when planning surgery.
The goal is to identify the structures responsible for the concern rather than simply choosing the procedure whose name is most familiar.
What If the Changes Extend Around My Waist or Back?
Sometimes the concern does not stop at the front of the abdomen.
Loose skin, tissue laxity, or changes in contour may extend around the waist, flanks, hips, or back. This can be especially relevant after significant weight loss, although every patient's anatomy is different.
In these situations, treating only the abdomen may not address the entire concern.
A consultation allows your surgeon to evaluate your body as a whole and determine whether a more comprehensive body contouring approach may be appropriate.
This is where proportion becomes especially important. The goal is not simply to improve one isolated area. It is to consider how that area relates to the surrounding contours of the body.
How Does Pregnancy Affect Body Contouring Decisions?
Pregnancy can create several different changes at the same time.
The skin may stretch. Abdominal tissues may change. Fat distribution can shift. The breasts may also change in volume, shape, or position.
For some patients, certain changes improve naturally after pregnancy. Others remain despite exercise and a return to a stable weight.
There is no single "post-pregnancy procedure" that is appropriate for everyone.
One patient may primarily want to address abdominal skin. Another may be concerned about both the abdomen and breasts. Someone else may have a completely different combination of concerns.
Rather than beginning with a package or procedure name, surgical planning should begin with the individual changes pregnancy created for your body.
What About Body Contouring After Significant Weight Loss?
Significant weight loss can dramatically change the size and shape of the body, but the skin does not always contract to match the body's new contours.
As a result, some people are left with excess or hanging skin in multiple areas. The amount and location can vary considerably from person to person.
For patients who have experienced substantial weight loss, body contouring planning may involve evaluating several areas and determining which concerns should be addressed, whether procedures should be staged, and what approach can be performed safely.
This can require a very different strategy from treating one isolated area of stubborn fat.
Can More Than One Area Be Treated?
In some circumstances, multiple areas or concerns may be addressed as part of a surgical plan.
However, "can these procedures be combined?" and "should these procedures be combined for me?" are two different questions.
Safety must remain part of the decision.
Your overall health, the procedures being considered, anticipated surgical time, recovery requirements, and other individual factors all influence whether combining procedures is appropriate.
In other situations, staging procedures may provide a better approach. This decision should be made individually rather than based on what another patient chose to have performed.
Does My Weight Matter Before Body Contouring?
Your current weight and its stability can be important considerations when planning body contouring surgery.
Body contouring is generally intended to reshape or refine areas of the body. It is not a substitute for weight loss.
Significant weight changes after surgery can also alter the tissues and potentially affect the result.
During your consultation, your surgeon can discuss how your current health, weight history, and future plans may influence the timing or type of procedure being considered.
How Do I Know What Results Are Realistic for My Body?
This is one of the most valuable questions you can ask during a consultation.
Before-and-after photographs can be useful for understanding the types of changes a procedure may create, but another person's result cannot predict your own.
Your result will be influenced by your starting anatomy, skin and tissue characteristics, previous pregnancies or weight changes, surgical history, healing, and the procedure performed.
A thoughtful consultation should include a discussion of both what can be improved and what limitations may exist.
Realistic expectations are an important part of making an informed decision.
What Should I Tell My Plastic Surgeon During a Consultation?
You do not need to know which procedure you want before scheduling a consultation. Instead, start with the problem.
· This skin has been loose since I lost weight.
· I exercise, but this area doesn't change.
· My abdomen changed after pregnancy.
· I don't like how this area looks in clothing.
· The change goes around my waist, not just across my stomach.
· I want better proportion, but I don't want to look dramatically different.
These descriptions can be more useful than arriving convinced that you need a particular operation.
Your surgeon can then evaluate your anatomy, explain which procedures address the concern, and discuss the advantages and limitations of the available options.
So, Which Body Contouring Procedure Is Right for Me?
There is no universal answer because there is no universal body.
The right procedure depends first on what is causing the concern.
· Is it localized fat?
· Loose skin?
· Changes following pregnancy?
· Excess skin after significant weight loss?
· A concern involving several areas rather than one?
· Or a combination of factors?
Once that is understood, the conversation becomes much more useful.
With more than 36 years of plastic surgery experience, Dr. Y. Anthony Nakamura approaches body contouring at Accent On You with individualized surgical planning that considers each patient's anatomy, priorities, and desired outcome.
The procedure should follow the patient. Not the other way around.
Considering Body Contouring in Arlington, Texas?
If you are considering body contouring but aren't sure which procedure may be appropriate, you do not need to figure it out before your appointment.
A personal consultation is designed to do exactly that.
During your consultation with Dr. Y. Anthony Nakamura at Accent On You in Arlington, Texas, you can discuss the areas you would like to change, learn what may be contributing to those concerns, and explore treatment options based on your individual anatomy and goals.
Schedule a consultation with Accent On You to begin with the question that matters most: What would you like to change?
